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Marijuana legalization is the hottest story in the US today. 22 states have authorized sales in some form; Denver has more legal marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks franchises. We are witnessing the dawn of a new industry. And like the early days of gourmet coffee chains, the rules and players are being established on the fly.

Christian Hageseth is the face of the revolution-an entrepreneur and father of three who worked in the white-collar professional world for 20 years before opening his first dispensary. The Founder and Chairman of Green Man Cannabis, the fastest-growing legalized marijuana company in the country, he's the perfect tour guide through the wild frontier, where police hardly know what laws to enforce, or parents what to tell their kids. He paints a colorful picture not only of how he got into the business, but of the big interests that are eager to do the same-namely Philip Morris, Monsanto and a who's who of Big Pharma. He predicts a future where the marijuana market splits in two: the high-end, artisanal market, supplied by individual growers and small farms, and the mass market, covered by the cigarette giants and anyone bold enough to compete with them. Much like beer and coffee, your brand of weed will be just one more reflection of your lifestyle. It's an entrepreneur's dream, and Hageseth invites us along in Big Weed as he pitches skeptical investors, negotiates a shaggy cast of colleagues, and builds the biggest business he can.

CHRISTIAN HAGESETH isa seasoned entrepreneur in the food, finance, and real estate industries, and the founder of Green Man Cannabis, the fastest-growing and most innovative legal marijuana company in the country, which last year produced the best pot in the world. In 2014, Green Man Cannabis won the 2014 US Cannabis Cup, the marijuana industry’s highest award for product excellence. He lives in Denver, CO.

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Brave New World2. My Education3. First Grow, First Blood4. The Beauty of Failure5. Don’t Bank On It6. The Haze of Paranoia7. Seed-to-Sale to Bust8. The Cannabis Ranch9. Family: Hageseth, Genus: Cannabis10. Best in Show11. Marijuana’s Mecca12. Marijuana on the Ballot13. Looking for the Win-Win14. Investors15. The New Marijuana Economy16. The Cannabis RanchEndnotes